Posts from the ‘Other Thoughts’ Category

In the years I have been in the UK, I have observed the attitudes that many Britons have with regards to immigration. They want some, but not too much. They like aspects of it, but not others. They enjoy the investment it can bring, but not the costs it can bear. They have the quintessential Goldilocks attitude – not too hot, not too cold, not too firm, not too soft. Read more

There is little doubt amongst most of today’s political elite that the welfare state we see in some social democratic countries needs to be reinvigorated. One idea, in particular, has featured prominently in the media recently, and has been put forward as an answer to this problem: universal basic income (UBI). However, while UBI receives a marginal level of support, many economists, both from academia and industry, oppose the concept. I also do not believe that it would be an appropriate or successful solution to the issues which its supporters claim it challenges. I wish to suggest that the lessons of Russia’s Soviet past in particular indicate that it would be unwise to introduce UBI into any developed Western society. Read more

Soon, Britons will be called on to vote on a question that, one way or another, could set the direction for the country’s economic, social and political future. It is no surprise, therefore, that the question is one that is arousing a lot of fiery and emotional debate in the media and other public forums. And as if the issue were not emotive enough as it is, Putin has recently been brought into it, with speculation about the possible role of Russia in stirring up discord and encouraging support for Brexit.

I will give my views on both of these issues. But for now, just to say Read more

“False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often long endure; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, as every one takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness; and when this is done, one path towards error is closed and the road to truth is often at the same time opened.”

— Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man (1871)

Crony capitalism is the subject of considerable and often misguided debate. It is an economic system where those who are inappropriately close to government officials are given unfair advantages, commonly in the form of financial incentives. As a person with a regulated European fund and yet on the receiving end of baseless allegations of crony capitalism, this is a topic I follow closely.

I am a frequent reader of The Economist, a publication which prides itself on its quality of research, but I was very surprised by an article that I recently read which featured an updated ‘crony capitalism index’. Read more

“In order to grow wings, you must first have the desire to fly” – Yuri Gagarin

Russia has always been a leader in the space industry. Below, I highlight just some of Russia’s major successes in the field, which I believe have had a lasting impact on the sector as a whole. Read more

The news that London’s National Portrait Gallery (‘NPG’) and Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery will exchange a range of masterpieces this year suggests to me that the underlying channels of cooperation which exist between these two nations of art lovers are still as important as ever. Read more